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Most memorable Daytona 500s: Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001 shakes all of racing

February 23, 2012

The car of Ken Schrader hits Dale Earhardt's car as Earhardt hits the wall head-on on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Editor's note:We're counting down the days until the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 26, and we'll feature one of our 10 most memorable 500s each day until the green flag waves on the 2012 season. In this installment, Autoweek NASCAR expert Al Pearce looks back on the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, one of the darkest days in Daytona 500 history.

“Undoubtedly, this is one of the toughest announcements I've personally had to make. After the accident in turn four at the end of the Daytona 500, we've lost Dale Earnhardt.”

With those words, emotionally spent NASCAR president Mike Helton confirmed what many had feared for almost two hours: Ralph Dale Earnhardt, stock-car racing's most compelling figure for almost two decades, had died instantly in a crash in the last turn on the last lap in 2001 at Daytona International Speedway.

Dr. Steve Bohannon of the speedway's medical staff said Earnhardt was pronounced dead at nearby Halifax Medical Center at 5:16 p.m., about 40 minutes after the accident. “He had what I feel were life-ending-type injuries at the time of impact,” he added shortly after Helton's 7 p.m. announcement. “Really, nothing could be done for him. My speculation would be head injuries, basically to the base of the skull.”

The accident shook NASCAR to its core, from fans and the media to drivers and owners, from officials and executives to concessionaires and vendors. It drew more unwanted attention to stock-car racing than anything in recent decades. The last big-name, race-winning driver to die on-track was Earnhardt's good friend, Neil Bonnett, during practice at Daytona in February 1994. The last champion to die in competition was Joe Weatherly at Riverside International Raceway in January 1964.

“NASCAR has lost its greatest driver,” NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said of Earnhardt's death, “and I personally have lost a great friend.”

Words of condolence came from fans in every state and from a dozen foreign countries. The accident was on the front page of the New York Times and on the cover of (among others) Sports Illustrated and Autoweek. His funeral was telecast on two networks, and some newspapers published special Earnhardt commemorative sections that week. It was the only thing people in motorsports talked about for almost a month. Mainstream America was paying attention to NASCAR.

Even now, the images are clearly etched: Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammates Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. headed for a 1-2 finish, well clear of their team owner; Sterling Marlin's slight bump as Earnhardt repeatedly blocked between turns three and four, trying to salvage third; Earnhardt dipping onto the apron, then shooting up the track; the hard right-front contact from Ken Schrader just as Earnhardt hit the concrete wall almost head-on; both cars sliding down the banking, stopping on the apron of turn four; Schrader running to Earnhardt's left-side window, looking in and quickly looking away, already knowing what others eventually would learn; and finally, two hours later, Helton's somber announcement.

Later in the week, NASCAR reported that Earnhardt's left-side lap belt had broken on impact, throwing him forward. His chin hit the steering wheel, thus causing the fatal basal skull fracture. (He also suffered eight broken ribs and a broken left ankle.) Some reports said the belt wasn't installed properly, that Earnhardt was more comfortable with “his way” of attaching it. Some speculated that a full-face helmet might have saved him. It took almost six months and a reported million dollars before NASCAR released its official report that supported the seatbelt/steering wheel/skull-fracture scenario.

Earnhardt's was the fourth on-track death in the preceding nine months, following Adam Petty in May 2000 and Kenny Irwin in July 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Tony Roper in October 2000 at Texas Motor Speedway. In coming months, NASCAR began upgrading its safety standards, mandating head-and-neck restraint devices, development (with the University of Nebraska) of soft walls and, ultimately, the safety-focused Car of Tomorrow. There hasn't been an on-track death since Earnhardt's.

Waltrip won the race that day, with Earnhardt Jr. close behind, then Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott. As if anyone really cared, Earnhardt was 12th, the first driver a lap down. It was the last of his 676 starts, four months after his last win at Talladega Superspeedway. His career statistics: seven championships, three points runner-up finishes, 22 poles, 76 wins, 281 top-five finishes, 428 top-10s and more than $42 million in career earnings.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, he was posthumously named NASCAR's most popular driver in 2001, the only time he was so honored.